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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mine — for digging
  3. row — a line
  4. bore — to drill
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. suit — clothes
  11. file — a line of people
  12. suit — in cards
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bore — to tire
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. file — a tool
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. craft — boats
  22. file — a document
  23. pound — a weight
  24. row — to paddle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com